"And lastly… hmm, Shion, if you have time, help keep an eye on Tashiro-san."
Kuroba Akira wanted Shion to get along well with Tashiro-san.
On one hand, because among the younger women in the Kobayashi household, there was only Tashiro-san.
Shion, having withdrawn from school, had no female peers to interact with—no one to talk to about things you can't easily say to men.
Over time, that wouldn't be good for her mental or physical well-being, so Tashiro-san would be an ideal confidante.
(Obaasan didn't count—too much of a generation gap.)
On the other hand, Tashiro-san's makeup skill was something worth putting to use.
And it wasn't even something that needed further training—her proficiency was already at LV4. Not making use of it would be a real waste.
If Shion ever became willing to show her face in public, Tashiro-san could do her makeup.
With her already stunning natural beauty, Shion, enhanced by professional makeup, could quite literally become a "so beautiful it takes your breath away" spectacle.
Before, Akira had thought phrases like "beauty that topples cities and nations," "fish sinking, birds falling," or "fragrance of the nation" were just flowery exaggerations. How beautiful could anyone really be?
Even with famous actresses, Akira had never felt that "heart-thumping Tom" kind of impact.
But Shion had redefined beauty for him. There was a kind of beauty that everyone agreed on—that was the truest form of it, the kind that could stand as the era's aesthetic ideal.
Also, Akira felt that acting as Shion's manager himself might not be ideal—rumors often sprang up between idols and their managers, which could harm her career.
And he was still a student; he couldn't be by her side twenty-four-seven.
Right now, it wasn't a problem, but once she debuted, it would become urgent to arrange someone trustworthy to assist her.
From that angle too, Tashiro-san was a perfect fit.
She also wasn't satisfied with her current job, so as long as the pay was right, he could definitely win her over.
To Akira, this plan was downright perfect.
"…Alright."
But Shion herself seemed the least enthusiastic about this particular arrangement.
She hadn't actually met Tashiro-san yet—just passed by the bathroom earlier and caught a glimpse of her huddled miserably over the toilet, throwing up.
But just because Tashiro-san had kept Akira from coming back to sleep in her room, Shion had taken a small dislike to her.
Seeing her lack of interest, Akira continued listing Tashiro-san's strengths.
"By the way, she's also really good at massage. If you ever feel sore anywhere, you can have her—"
"I don't want that!"
Her reaction was sharp, like a startled kitten.
"…Hm?"
"I mean… I'd rather just have Akira-kun keep doing it for me."
"Well… I don't mind…"
Getting to freely touch a beautiful girl's stocking-clad legs and feet—of course he was happy to.
But he did notice Shion seemed to dislike contact with strangers. With Hijikata-san, she'd only offered polite greetings, and now with Tashiro-san, she was openly unwilling to interact.
Clearly, her social skills still needed work.
Once she became a public figure, she'd inevitably have to deal with many kinds of people.
"In any case, Tashiro-san is someone you can trust. If you believe me, try to get along with her."
"…Got it. If you say so, Akira-kun, I will."
If it was something Akira told her to do, she'd still follow through.
So after washing up, Shion went to visit Tashiro-san.
Having just emptied her stomach, Tashiro-san looked completely drained. After Kobayashi Grandma helped her to the living room sofa, she slumped there, half-lidded eyes and dazed expression.
"Tashiro-san… hello, I'm Shiginomiya Shion. I just started staying here yesterday…"
"…!"
The moment she saw her, Tashiro Benika's eyes went wide—she thought she'd already gone to heaven.
Mustering her last scrap of energy, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Shion's hips, gazing up in a daze.
"What a beautiful angel…!"
"Tashiro-san, please don't… I'm not an angel…"
"No! You are an angel! The angel-sama has finally descended to my side!"
Maybe it was the leftover alcohol talking, but Tashiro was already slipping into nonsense again.
"Um…"
Shion wasn't sure how to react, but then she thought—maybe Akira-kun had been pounced on just like this. That made her feel much better.
Though Tashiro-san was an adult, she didn't seem particularly mature-minded.
If she could be made to listen to her… maybe she wouldn't have to worry about last night's "being stolen away" situation repeating.
So Shion put on her gentlest smile yet, and using the soft-senpai voice she'd practiced last night, stroked Tashiro's hair and soothed her.
"There, there… I know you must've been feeling awful to drink that much, but it's alright. Just treat it as a moment to relax—it'll be fine…"
"Uuuhhh… Angel-sama… please take me away… Angel-sama…!"
"Don't be afraid. I'll stay by your side. Rest well, and when you wake, everything will be alright, okay?"
"…Mm!"
Shiginomiya Shion tamed Tashiro Benika effortlessly.
When Akira came downstairs after washing up and saw the scene, he froze.
Was this really the same Tashiro-san who'd been hugging him with all the mature-woman charm just earlier?
Now the roles had flipped—Shion was the gentle onee-san, while Tashiro-san had become the tearful crybaby needing a big rei-rei's comfort.
Though Shion's chest wasn't as magnificent, she had a peach-shaped butt to rival any big bust!
And right now, Tashiro-san was hugging Shion's pert rear, her face pressed just below her belly, close to that secret garden…
One could only say—Tashiro-san had taste. Surely the texture there was no less exquisite than the facial cleansers Akira had experienced.
Too bad that was the dangerous triangle zone he had no right to enjoy—so he just looked on enviously before heading upstairs.
Though a twenty-four-year-old office lady being held and comforted by a fifteen-year-old high school girl was a bizarre sight, as long as Shion could get along with Tashiro-san, that was mission accomplished.
Before leaving for school, Akira went to Hijikata-san's room to print out the novel outline he'd finished last night.
Hijikata's room had both a printer and a fax machine, saving him a trip to the convenience store.
Incidentally, Hijikata had been in nonstop work mode since nine last night and hadn't noticed any of the commotion outside.
With the outline in hand, Akira could keep his creative flow going, even during class—continuing to write the main text of the novel.
Class? What class!
No self-respecting slacker actually studies at school!
Of course it was for novel-writing!
As for exams—just guess enough multiple-choice answers to scrape thirty points and pass. Avoid repeating a year and you're golden… actually, even repeating wouldn't be the end of the world!
Sure, Kozaikawa-sensei might be sad… but honestly, a diploma? Who needs it!
As long as he could make enough money to live the rest of his life in comfort, high school was optional at best.
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